Mass data analysis NLH: population stats by stake, room and player type
Mass data analysis of No-Limit Hold'em (NLH) cash games: how the real population plays at every stake from NL10 to NL2000+, in seven poker rooms and by player type. Built on 324 million NLH 6-max cash hands and 979,000 players. Data as of October 2026.
NLH population stats by stake
| Stake | VPIP | PFR | 3-bet | Fold to 3-bet | Limp | AFQ flop | AFQ turn | AFQ river | Pool bb/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL10 | 28.2% | 17.6% | 7.3% | 46.8% | 5.4% | 47.6% | 48.9% | 50.3% | -13.0 |
| NL25 | 28.2% | 18.1% | 7.7% | 49.2% | 5.0% | 48.3% | 49.1% | 50.5% | -12.7 |
| NL50 | 29.0% | 19.0% | 8.6% | 50.6% | 4.9% | 49.0% | 49.5% | 50.8% | -13.1 |
| NL100 | 29.3% | 19.7% | 9.1% | 51.8% | 4.4% | 49.5% | 49.6% | 50.9% | -12.5 |
| NL200 | 29.1% | 19.7% | 9.2% | 51.9% | 3.9% | 49.7% | 49.6% | 50.9% | -10.5 |
| NL500 | 29.0% | 20.5% | 9.7% | 53.0% | 2.7% | 50.5% | 50.0% | 51.2% | -8.8 |
| NL1000 | 29.0% | 20.9% | 10.1% | 52.3% | 2.1% | 51.0% | 50.2% | 51.3% | -7.6 |
| NL2000+ | 33.3% | 23.6% | 11.0% | 54.2% | 2.3% | 51.3% | 50.4% | 51.7% | -5.5 |
Population averages weighted by opportunities; AFQ = aggression frequency (bets + raises) / (bets + raises + calls + folds) on the street; bb/100 = result of the whole population after rake. NLH 6-max cash, all rooms.
What changes from NL10 to NL2000+
- VPIP barely moves (28-29% from NL10 to NL1000), but PFR rises from 17.6% to 20.9% - the pool opens more and limps less (limp 5.4% at NL10, 2.1% at NL1000).
- 3-bets rise from 7.3% to 11%, and so does fold to 3-bet (47% to 54%). At higher stakes light 3-bets get more folds, at NL10 they get called more often.
- Postflop aggression grows slowly: flop AFQ from 47.6% to 51.3%. The river is the most aggressive street at every stake.
- The pool loses the rake: about -13 bb/100 up to NL100, -10.5 at NL200, -5.5 at NL2000+.
Who plays at each stake
Share of hands played by each player type:
| Stake | Regs | Casual | Fish | Big fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL10 | 36.1% | 38.0% | 17.6% | 7.9% |
| NL25 | 45.2% | 29.7% | 17.3% | 7.6% |
| NL50 | 56.1% | 19.2% | 16.7% | 7.9% |
| NL100 | 59.9% | 15.8% | 16.7% | 7.4% |
| NL200 | 62.3% | 14.1% | 17.1% | 6.2% |
| NL500 | 67.2% | 12.0% | 16.3% | 4.4% |
| NL1000 | 71.9% | 9.7% | 15.1% | 3.4% |
| NL2000+ | 70.4% | 5.8% | 18.7% | 5.0% |
Player types in Poker MDA are assigned to each player from their stats (Core Concepts → Player types in the app).
NLH population by poker room
NL50-NL200 only, so the rooms are compared at similar stakes:
| Room | VPIP | PFR | 3-bet | Fold to 3-bet | AFQ flop | AFQ river | Regs (hands) | Fish (hands) | Pool bb/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GGPoker | 28.8% | 18.6% | 8.2% | 49.8% | 48.6% | 50.5% | 52.4% | 25.9% | -11.9 |
| PokerStars | 29.5% | 20.0% | 9.4% | 50.2% | 50.1% | 51.3% | 72.9% | 18.7% | -8.4 |
| CoinPoker | 28.9% | 20.2% | 10.2% | 53.5% | 50.2% | 51.1% | 56.1% | 23.4% | -11.6 |
| iPoker | 29.6% | 20.6% | 9.6% | 54.5% | 50.1% | 51.1% | 63.7% | 25.5% | -21.7 |
| WPN | 28.2% | 20.4% | 9.6% | 54.4% | 50.6% | 51.4% | 71.5% | 16.9% | -7.0 |
| 888poker | 31.2% | 20.3% | 9.2% | 51.8% | 49.8% | 51.3% | 60.8% | 32.1% | -19.1 |
WPT Global is left out of this table - its NL50-NL200 sample is still small.
- iPoker and 888poker have the weakest pools at these stakes: the population loses 19-22 bb/100 and fish play about a quarter to a third of the hands.
- PokerStars and WPN have the most regs (over 70% of the hands) and the smallest pool losses.
- CoinPoker, iPoker and WPN fold to 3-bets the most (53-55%); GGPoker the least (50%).
NLH stats by player type
| Player type | VPIP | PFR | 3-bet | Fold to 3-bet | AFQ flop | AFQ river | bb/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reg | 25.4% | 20.1% | 9.6% | 57.3% | 52.2% | 49.8% | -1.7 |
| Casual | 24.2% | 16.7% | 7.4% | 48.6% | 47.4% | 47.7% | -10.4 |
| Fish | 35.9% | 20.0% | 8.2% | 42.1% | 47.1% | 52.1% | -24.2 |
| Big Fish | 55.6% | 19.2% | 8.0% | 29.4% | 45.9% | 55.3% | -62.6 |
| All players | 29.0% | 19.4% | 8.8% | 51.2% | 49.3% | 50.9% | -11.4 |
- Big fish play 56% of hands and fold to a 3-bet only 29% of the time - 3-bet them for value, not as a bluff.
- Fish are the most aggressive players on the river (52-55% river AFQ) - more bluffs and thin bets than regs.
- Regs fold to 3-bets 57% of the time - the highest of all types.
| Regs by aggression | AFQ flop | AFQ river | bb/100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passive | 46.2% | 45.6% | -2.4 |
| Normal | 51.4% | 49.3% | -1.6 |
| Aggressive | 56.1% | 52.4% | -1.3 |
Aggressive regs are both the most aggressive and the most profitable regs.
How the numbers are calculated
- Population: all hands of the chosen players, every stat weighted by its opportunities (a player with more hands counts more).
- VPIP / PFR: voluntarily put money in the pot / preflop raise, % of hands. 3-bet and fold to 3-bet: % of the opportunities.
- AFQ: aggression frequency per street = (bets + raises) / (bets + raises + calls + folds).
- bb/100: big blinds won per 100 hands, after rake.
- Stakes are grouped into the bands used in the app: NL10, NL25, NL50, NL100, NL200, NL500, NL1000, NL2000+.
Beyond averages: spot-by-spot MDA
These tables are the starting point. In Poker MDA the same population is split by every postflop line, bet size, position, effective stack and board texture - with showdown ranges and a comparison with GTO for every spot. Read what mass data analysis is or the step-by-step guide.
FAQ
What is a normal VPIP in NLH cash games?
Across 324 million NLH 6-max cash hands the population VPIP is 28-29% from NL10 to NL1000; regs average about 25%, fish 36% and big fish 56%.
How often does the NLH population fold to a 3-bet?
From 47% at NL10 to 54% at NL2000+; regs fold to 3-bets 57% of the time, big fish only 29%.
Which poker room has the weakest NLH players?
At NL50-NL200 the iPoker and 888poker pools lose the most (19-22 bb/100 after rake); PokerStars and WPN have the highest share of regs.
How much does the NLH population lose to rake?
The whole population loses about 13 bb/100 at micro and low stakes and about 5.5 bb/100 at NL2000+.